GrainsWest Winter 2018

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Winter 2018 9
BY MELANIE EPP
CLASSSYSTEM
WHEATCLASSMODERNIZATION LOOMS LARGE FOR PRAIRIE FARMERS
THE CANADIAN GRAIN
Commission (CGC) began modernizing
Canada’s wheat classes in January 2016.
Effective Aug. 1, 2018, 25 Canada Western
Red Spring (CWRS) varieties and four
Canada Prairie Spring Red (CPSR) wheat
varieties will move to the Canada North-
ern Hard Red (CNHR) class. Some are
concerned about the loss of varieties such
as Lillian, a solid stem variety that stood
up to sawfly. While concerns are valid, the
plan was designed with the protection of
quality and consistency in mind. Addi-
tionally, new varieties are expected to be
available in the near future.
“The intent of the wheat class mod-
ernization program was to review the
parameters around our classes of wheat
to ensure that we are providing a consist-
ent product to our end users,” said Daryl
Beswitherick, CGC national manager of
quality assurance standards. “We wanted
to enhance the consistency of Canadian
wheat classes to support marketability and
to look at how we could make the wheat
class system as flexible as possible to allow
the entry of new and innovative varieties.”
An example of this can be seen with
the addition of three U.S. varieties to the
CNHR class: Elgin ND, Prosper and Fall-
er, all high-yielding dark northern spring
wheat varieties.
“They were unregistered American vari-
eties that producers were growing,” said
Beswitherick. “There was considerable
acreage being grown, so that was a signal
producers wanted to grow varieties that
weren’t in one of the classes. By creating
a new class of wheat, we created a vehicle
for these varieties to be registered in
Canada.”
The program also addresses quality.
Beswitherick said the CGC has moved
forward to outline the new quality param-
eters for both CWRS and CPSR.
“We’ve implemented them and re-
viewed all the varieties within each one of
those classes, and let the industry know
that there are 25 CWRS varieties that are
going to be moved from CWRS to our new
CNHR class because they no longer meet
the quality parameters for CWRS,” said
Beswitherick. “And same with CPSR—
there are four varieties that are going to
be moved Aug. 1 [2018].”
The change isn’t entirely welcome.
Kevin Auch, farmer and chair of the
Alberta Wheat Commission, said that
the class changes cause uncertainty. “I
understand the reasoning, but it does put
pressure on us farmers.”
Auch pointed to varieties that don’t
have good replacements, such as Lillian,
which is the only CWRS sawfly-resistant
variety. “It has been removed from
CWRS, and there’s really no good alter-
native,” he said.
Overall, though, Auch said there hasn’t
been great concern about the changes. “It’s
one of those things we have to adapt to.”
Pierre Hucl, a researcher at the Uni-
versity of Saskatchewan’s Crop Develop-
ment Centre (CDC), is well aware of this
farmer concern and said the CDC has a
new variety that has received support for
registration and performs similarly to Lil-
lian. CDC Adamant meets the new quality
requirements for the CWRS class and is 15
to 20 per cent higher yielding than Lillian.
According to Hucl, it’s resistant to various
insects, including wheat midge. While it
yet requires seed multiplication, if seed
companies accelerate the process it could
be available as soon as this year, but more
likely in 2019.
In the meantime, the CGC continues
to prepare for this year, ensuring farmers
know what they should plant in spring.
“It’s getting critical now,” said Beswith-
erick. “The wheat that producers plant in
spring could switch classes before they
harvest it.”
For a full list of varieties in transition,
visit .
Wheat class modernization has caused some uncertainty given that no good replacements exist for varieties such
as CDC Lillian, pictured here, which is sawfly resistant.
Photo:BrianKennedy